The prior art abounds with apparatuses for supplying water or other liquids to plants but they have generally suffered from several deficiencies and disadvantages. The following U.S. patents are exemplary of such prior art apparatuses: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,125,255; 3,168,224; 3,357,129; 4,060,934; 4,578,897; 4,829,708; 4,848,029; 4,942,692. Several of these prior art apparatuses utilize a system which is activated in response to water loss by the plants and require complex mechanisms to operate them. Many of the prior art apparatuses include spring loaded valves which are affected by changes in temperatures which often result in the plants being overwatered on very hot days. Still other of the prior art apparatuses require that the plants to be watered must be placed upon the apparatuses themselves. Many other of the prior art apparatuses cannot be utilized with plants positioned in pots or containers which are hung from a ceiling, wall or the like, but can be used solely to water plants positioned in pots or containers located on the floor or ground. Furthermore, many of the prior art apparatuses must be assembled from new parts and cannot be made from bottles or the like which would otherwise take up space in solid waste facilities.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,156 entitled "Moisture Feeding Apparatus For Plants" issued on Mar. 10, 1998 to applicant discloses and claims an apparatus for dispensing moisture to one or more plants on a continuing and consistent basis. However, it has been found since the issuance of U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,156, that while the apparatus of said patent is well suited for purposes described therein, the apparatus is not suited for providing moisture for several plants located in a vertical column. Accordingly, the present invention is an improvement over U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,156. U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,156 is incorporated herein by reference.
The instant invention relates to an apparatus for supplying moisture to plants located in a vertical column on a continuous and consistent basis and which can be made from disposable plastic containers, which overcomes the deficiencies and disadvantages of the prior art apparatus. Of course, the apparatus of the present invention could be made from all new components.